Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-11

They say: "Hurry along, old man, or
you will feel the weight of our spear.
Hurry along" CHOW far is it," says
Paul, "we have to travel?" "Three
miles" Three miles is e good way for
sn old man to travel after he has been
whipped and crippled with maltreatment.
But they soon get to the place of execu-
tion-Acquse Salvia-and he is fastened
! TO the pillar Of martYrdom. It does not
{ take any strength to tie him fast.
HE MAKES NO RESISTANCE.
! 0 Paul. why not strike for your lie? You
have great many friends here. With
that withered hand just launch the thun-
Gerbolt Of the people upon those infa-
| nous soldiers. No, Paul WAS not going
10 interfere with his own coronation. He
8as too glad TO 60. l see him looking up
N the face Of his executioner, and, as the
grim official draws the sword, Paul calm
Iy says: 81 am now ready to be offered,
and the time OF my departure is at hand"
But put my hand over my eyes, l want
not to see that lsst struggle. One sharp,
keen stroke, and PaUl does 90 TO the ban
Guet, and Paul does dine with the King.
What q transition it was! From the
malaria OF Rome TO the finest climate in
all the unigerse-the zone of eternal
beauty and health. His ashes were put
IN the catac0mbs Of Rome,
out in one moment the sir
of heaven bathed from his soul the
last ache. From shipwTeck, from dun
gaon, from the biting pain OF the elm
wood rods, from the saGrp sword OF the
headsmap, ne goes into the most bril-
liant assemblage of heaven, a king among
kings, mUltitUdes Of the sainthood rush
ing out and stretching forth hands of
welcome; for | DO really think that es on
the right hand Of God is Christ, go on the
right hand Of Christ is Paul, the second
great in heaven.
lie changed kings likewise. Before the
hour Of death, and up to the last moment,
ne was under Nero, the thick-necked, the
CTUel-cyed, the flthy-lipped; the SOUP
tuTed features Of that man bringing down
10 Us to this very day the horrible posi-
bilities OF his nature-seated SO he was
amidst pictured marbles OF Egypt, under
roof adorned with mother Of-pesrl, in
Q dining room which by machinery was
kept WGirling day and night with most
BEwITCHING NAGNIFICENCE;
MS horses standing in stalls Of solid geld,
ana the grounds around his palace lighted
st night by its victims, who had been
daubed with tar and pitch and then set
on fire to illumire the darkness. That
was Paul's king. But the next moment
Re goes into the realm OF Him whose
reign is love, and whose courts are paved
with love, and whose throne is
set on pillars of love, and whose
Eceptre is adorned with Jewels
OF love, 3nd whose palace
is lighted with love, and whose lifetime
is Gu eternity Of love. When Paul was
leaving so much OF this side the pillar Of
mGTtyrdOm to gain so much on the other
side. DO you wonder 1t the cheerful val
edictory of the text: "The time OF my
departure is 81 hand?n
Now, why can not all the old people CT
this congregation have the same holy glee
IS that aged man hGd2 Charles I, when
be was COmbiug his head found gray
hair, and he sent il TO the queen as !
great joke; hut old age is really no joke
az GIL. For the last forty years you nave
been dreading that which ought to have
been an eXhilRration. You say you most
fear the struggle at the moment the soul
and body part. But millions have en-
GuTed that moment, and why not we Us
well? They got through with it and so
can we. Besides this, all medical men
agree ia saying that there is probably no
struggle st all at the last mCment-nOt so
much pain IS the prick Of 2 pin, the
seeming signs OF distress being alto
gether involuntary. But you say: "It is
the uncertainty Of the future" Now,
child Of God, do not play the inhdel. |
After God hss filled the Bible till it can
mold no more with stories Of the good |
things ahead, better not talk shout IN
certainties.
But you say: az cannot bear to think |
OE parting from friends here" If you |
are old, you have more friends in heaven !
than here. Just take the census. Take |
some large sheet of paper and begin to |
record the names Of those who have emf |
rrsted 10 the other shore; the Compan- |
Ions of your school days, your early |
business associates,
THE FRIENDS OF MIDDLE LIFE
and those who more recently went away. |
Can it be that they nave been gone so
ong you DO not care any more about
them, and you do not want their society?
Oh, no, There have been days when you
laye felt that you could not endure it an
Jt1cr moment away from their blessed
comprehensive, They have gone. You
say you would not ike TO bring them
Jack 10 this world of trouble, even if you
lad the power. It would not do to trust
,ou, God would not give you resurrec-
ion power, Before tomorrow morning
you would be rafting ct the gates OF the
crying 10 the departed;
Come back TO the cradle where
7ou slept, come back to the
lali where you used to play. come
Jack 10 the table where you used to sit"
md there would be great burglary il
heaven. No, no! God will not trust
7Ou with resurrection power; but He
compromised the matter, and says: "You
az not bring them where you are, but
'Ou can 90 where they sre." They are
more lovely now than ever. Were they
,eauliiul here, they are more beautiful
here.
Beside that, it is more healthy there for
,ou than here, aged man; better climate
here than these hot summers and cold
winters and late springs; better
rearing; better eye-sight; more tonic in
he air; more perfume in the bloom;
more sweetness in the song. DO you not
eel, aged man, sometimes, as though
'ou would ike to get your arm and foot
rec? Do you not feel as though you
you'd ike to throw away spectacIes snd
.6nes and crutches? Would you not like
o feel the spring and elasticity and mirth
# an eternal bOyhood? When the point